Comments on: John Seavey’s Storytelling Engines: Tales of the Zombie

By: Rene

Rene — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 21:56:14 +0000

Simon Garth being too passive as a zombie and unsympathetic when living is really the point of the whole series: social criticism was very much Steve Gerber’s game. Garth is the shallow, greedy capitalist whose previous wasted life becomes even more tragic when he becomes a zombie.

The ever-changing supporting cast in his stories was also a way for Gerber to highlight a lot of different social phenomena in his stories. Like the one with the hedonistic swingers that use Garth as a toy.

But yeah, bitter irony and social criticism isn’t always enjoyable or “fun” or commercially succesful, though.

By: Jeff Ryan

Jeff Ryan — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 16:21:02 +0000

I’d argue that there are two different McGuffin engines — one about a place, one about an object. Stories about a place — those giant James Michiner books, The Dreaming, Back to the Future — and stories about objects — Hellraiser, Heavy Metal, Red Violin, the short-lived TV show Gun. Places have more character than objects, and thus are easier to thurn into the main character of a story. Stories about objects are rarer.

A lot of creators kind of carry their own McGuffin around with them. Any surprise when the Ennis-written Punisher tangled with the Irish mob? Or when a new Chuck Dizon hero tanges with eco-terrorists? Or when anyone written by Peter David starts to be funnier than before?

By: ks

ks — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 07:42:10 +0000

Kind of like the book “Pillars of the Earth” which follows the building of a cathedral in England. Good book.

By: FunkyGreenJerusalem

FunkyGreenJerusalem — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 01:42:25 +0000

I think you should’ve mentioned that the series was started by Gerber – the man who would make the lack of an engine a strength.

By: Asad

Asad — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:32:32 +0000

I never thought of centering a story around an object. Interesting idea